Patty Law never wavered much when it came to her career path.

“I had always wanted to be a nurse, since I was in first grade,” she said.

That certainty took shape the summer before her junior year of high school, when she worked part time at her local health department. At just 16, Patty found herself surrounded by nurses who were eager to teach and unafraid to hand responsibility to someone willing to learn.

“I was trained to do simple fingerstick labs while working that summer with patients and really enjoyed the direct patient care,” she said.

The experience stayed with her. After graduating from high school, Patty applied to Georgia Southern College — now Georgia Southern University — and was accepted into its nursing program, which she described as both new and challenging.

“I was blessed to have excellent professors and nursing faculty that I came to admire and respect,” she said.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing in 1984 and began her career working as a pediatric charge nurse, first in Savannah and later in Statesboro. Two years in, she found herself stepping into leadership roles, which included teaching a pediatric assessment class for nurses on her unit, and soon began to feel a pull. 

“I really think I wanted more and just felt there was something missing in my career,” Patty said. “I wanted more autonomy in decision making.”

At times, she even wished she had gone to medical school. But with financial constraints and real-world responsibilities, that path wasn’t realistic. Instead, she began considering another option — one that was still relatively new at the time — and her interest piqued.

The nurse practitioner tract at Georgia Southern, then offered as a one-year certificate program through the school’s continuing education department, would allow Patty to continue working 36 hours on weekends while attending school during the week. She decided to enroll, along with her close friend and former college roommate, and after completing the program and passing the national certification exam, she became the first practicing nurse practitioner in the Bulloch County area. 

Being first came with its own set of challenges.

“The role was new, and I was met with some doubt and hesitancy at first,” she said. “I recall being asked multiple times by various patients why they had to see ‘just a nurse.’”

She was questioned regularly about her training and qualifications, but Patty found support in mentorship at Statesboro Family Practice, where Dr. Randy Smith became a steady guide.

“He was an excellent clinician and was always willing to answer my questions, even when I doubted myself,” she said.

Over time, trust replaced uncertainty, and those who once questioned her began requesting her by name — a gradual shift that occurred as she built rapport, keeping the lines of communication open and focusing on patient education.  

“I tried to explain things in simple terms that were easy to comprehend,” she said. 

In the early days, much of her work centered on diet, nutrition, weight loss and diabetes management, though over time, her scope of care expanded — particularly before urgent care clinics existed locally, when family practices routinely managed acute illnesses alongside chronic disease. 

“The shortage of health care providers in rural areas such as ours, especially in primary care and family practice, opened the door for increased jobs for mid-level providers to fill the gaps,” Patty said.

Beyond her personal responsibilities, Patty also watched as the role of all nurse practitioners began to evolve — slowly at first, then with increasing momentum. Early programs focused largely on pediatrics and gerontology; today, NPs are specializing in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, psychiatry and more.

While some areas began granting nurse practitioners full-practice authority in the mid-1990s, and more than half of U.S. states now allow it, Patty notes that Georgia has been slower to change. Here, nurse practitioners are still required to have a collaborative practice agreement with a practicing medical doctor.

Despite those limitations, the profession continues to grow, and in 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked nurse practitioner as the No. 1 health care job in the country. 

Over the course of her career, Patty says a shift toward primary prevention and shared decision-making altered how providers counseled patients. Technological advances soared, and telehealth continues to grow as a popular alternative to traditional office visits. At the same time, the rise of social media and misinformation online often complicated care.

“‘Dr. Google’ … made our jobs much more difficult,” Patty said. “Sorting fact from fiction became a constant struggle.”

Then came COVID-19. Providers were hailed as heroes early in the pandemic, she noted, only to face growing frustration and burnout later. Financial pressures also mounted, particularly for small independent practices.

Through it all, Patty remained focused on patients — and on mentoring the next generation. She speaks proudly of the students she’s precepted who have gone on to become nurse practitioners, many of whom are practicing right here in Bulloch County. 

In December, Patty retired from her position at Statesboro Family Practice and is turning her attention to a long-awaited bucket list. Travel tops it — especially Alaska — along with more time with family. She looks forward to vacations at the lake, days in her greenhouse, mission trips with her church and volunteering with local nonprofits.

Still, the pride and perspective she’s earned over four decades in health care will never fade. The profession changed. The systems evolved. But the heart of the work — listening, teaching, advocating — remained the same.

“Being able to have my patients have absolute trust in me and my ability to care for them is the proudest moment of all,” she said.

And in Bulloch County, the path she helped clear continues to matter.